Words and Thoughts of Joshua Scott Witsaman

UPDATED! Possible New Series For Babylon 5?

I was checking my email yesterday and was sorting through some of my Google Alerts that I’ve let back up for too long. One of my regular alerts is for Babylon 5, so I can try and stay on top of any new developments or commentary about the show. Well the first B5 alert I checked contained a link that had both bits of information for me. The link lead me over to this IGN story from Comic-Con. There isn’t really much there to go on, but the coverage talks about a panel at the con featuring Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski discussing his previous work on the show, and an enigmatic mention of a new Babylon 5 series that may be in the works. Warner Bros. apparently seemed to be looking to launch a new network (?) and were thinking about having a Babylon 5 spin-off as part of its lineup. That scenario has changed however but from what it sounds like ol’ Joe Straczynski seems to think that there is still hope for this new Babylon 5 show seeing the light of day via some other channel through Warners. One of the most interesting things mentioned in the article is that the deal Straczynski made would have given the show a much bigger budget than its previous incarnations and would have granted the creator full creative control over this new series.

Babylon 5 creator and writer J. Michael Straczynski

If even half of this Babylon 5 discussion turns out to be true I will be extremely excited.

If you are reading this and are a fan of the original B5 series you should help garner some interest for this new project by making your opinion known. If you haven’t already, go over to the official Babylon 5 Facebook Page and hit them with a “like.” Make sure to comment on their posts and bring up your enjoyment of the show and a desire for a new series! It might not be a grand gesture but if there is enough activity on the page and if there is an influx of fans making comments, someone is bound to take notice. Also get over to whatever geek and sci-fi message boards or forums you happen to post on regularly and bring up this idea of a new Babylon 5 series. Rejuvenate the interest of the old fans and maybe pique the curiosity of some new ones. It’s all part of my continuing mission to bring Babylon 5 back to the sci-fi forefront.

The early days of Babylon 5

UPDATE: 9/18/2011

So here’s some new information that has come to my attention recently. At the recent Las Vegas Star Trek convention, Trek and Babylon 5 regular Walter Koenig revealed that he has had some recent talks with good ol’ JMS about this new Babylon 5 project that is in the works and that although he can’t reveal any solid details about the project at this time, there was apparently discussion that it might be a feature length film. Whatever it is if Koenig is involved that pretty much blows my previous speculations out of the water (see below). Clearly this project will be continuing the storyline left off from the original series and might be something along the lines of the story seen in the book Final Reckoning: The Fate of Bester and bring some kind final resolution to the mysterious fate of the regular B5 foil Alfred Bester who Walter Koenig portrayed during the five year story arc of the show. With this new information there is still the possibility that there could be a new series in the works but now it feels more like another direct to DVD release similar to the last few B5 spin-offs. Either way I’m excited. I would of course love to see a new show, but I would also be glad to see any new story from the Babylon 5 universe even if it is just a single B5 movie. We shall see though, I’m glad that the momentum for this project is still building and that this new development has people talking, eager to see more from J. Michael Straczynzki and the ol’ Babylon 5 gang. Here is a LINK to the original story as reported by TrekMovie.com.

Now as far as my (now defunct) speculation goes as to what this new series could be about, I personally would love to see a prequel of sorts, perhaps focusing on the Earth/Dilgar war. That would be a timeline that is just enough removed from the original that you could easily allow for a whole new cast while keeping the overall look of the series familiar to long time fans. I would of course also love to see a show that picks up where the old shows left off, but sadly many of the best cast members of the series are now gone to us. I personally wouldn’t want to return to the original timeline without the likes of G’Kar, Dr. Franklin, Zack Allen, or even Zathras. In order to take the show in a new and interesting direction and to honor the memory of those wonderful actors who made the series what it is, my vote is for a prequel show. A show that tells the story that leads up to the Babylon 5 station with some new faces and new stories to tell. But let’s not forget that Babylon 5, like any sci-fi show worth it’s salt, has some time traveling elements. So even if the new show takes place during the past, there’s still a slight chance we might be able to see some familiar faces one way or another.

Warleader Jha'dur fought against the Earth Alliance during the Earth/Dilgar war and was the last survivor of the Dilgar race.

Yeah I really hope this pans out it would be great to have something new to look forward to. I have been preparing to play, I’ve written up a short “memo” for each faction that introduces a little about each race and then gives tips and strategy for each deck to help out new players and people who aren’t that familiar with the show. I want to play soon for sure.

Yeah we really missed out on getting more involved with the golden age of B5, but with Crusade on the horizon it seemed like it would be something that would be around for awhile. Keep your fingers crossed for this one.